This is a picture of two Jewish policemen, Notrim, who worked as part of the British Mandate police force at the police station in the Arab village Saris near Jerusalem. The photograph shows one policeman sitting on a camel with the other holding its rein. Both policemen are dressed in official uniform and are armed with rifles. Camels were the preferred mode of transport since they were used to the climate and needed far less water and provisions than horses. The headwear worn by the policemen was also unique to the region.
The auxiliary police who operated in the British Mandate served to defend Jewish settlements and secure the train lines, the port of Haifa, the Northern border, the airport, and a number of factories.
This branch of the police was established by the British Mandate in June 1936. 25,000 guards were trained and equipped by the British (with around 14,000 officially attached to the police force), and they became an important asset for the Yishuv as their expertise grew.
